On August 4, the women’s basketball group stage match between Japan and Belgium took place at the Olympics.
The game started with Belgium breaking its usual pattern by initiating an offensive assault from the perimeter, successfully breaching Japan’s defense and taking an early lead of 10-7. Japan had a low shooting percentage and could only rely on free throws to inch closer to the score. By the end of the first quarter, Belgium was ahead by 19-7.
In the second quarter, Belgium’s female team maintained their momentum, while Japan finally managed to score from beyond the arc, bringing their total up to double digits. Belgium swiftly counterattacked, forcing a timeout on Japan, increasing the score gap to 15 points. Japan’s female team suddenly found their rhythm from outside, consistently making long-range shots to narrow the score difference down to single digits. However, Belgium’s female team displayed exceptional three-point shooting today, causing the score gap to widen again,
At halftime, Japan’s female team trailed Belgium’s female team by 23-39.
This match will see China’s female team advance to the next round if Belgium wins by less than 27 points or Japan wins by less than 37 points.